


Article of Virtu

by starlightbirds



Category: Naruto
Genre: Angels, BFF Hidan, Fae & Fairies, Hidan is kinda bitchy but when is he not, M/M, Vampires, Werewolves, maybe kakuhida MAYBE, slowburn, supernatural stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:21:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27893011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlightbirds/pseuds/starlightbirds
Summary: On the hunt to eliminate their supernatural rivals, one vampire makes a mistake when he's overcome with a different desire. Now the clock is ticking for one human, but it may already be too late.previously titled Starlight
Relationships: Deidara/Sasori (Naruto)
Kudos: 19





	1. Dusk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long time ago I read a Sasodei vampire fic on here and it inspired me to finally do a little story of my own. I always come back to this pairing, its been a favorite since forever! Anyway this is my first attempt at contributing to AO3 so let me know what you guys think! I'm not sure how long I want this story to be, so the chapters are unsure but I have two written now. This chapter might get an edit as well.
> 
> Deidara is going to be slightly OOC in this first chapter, I haven't gotten my groove back yet. He'll be our loveable asshole again soon.
> 
> "Mother said straight ahead,  
> not to delay or be mislead,"  
> \- Into The Woods

“Count Dracula is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. He is also depicted in the novel to be...” Hidan's voice droned out as he continued reading, filtering past Deidara's ears and into the living room of his apartment.

The aforementioned student sat with his head on the table, arms crossed underneath his chin in a fit of boredom. For almost three hours now, the two had been going over their shared school project that was due the coming Monday- an analysis on the character Count Dracula. Kakuzu, the third member in the group assignment, was unable to attend the final revision. “I'm busy this weekend.” was all the gruff reply the upperclassman offered at school earlier, slamming his locker shut in their faces and fleeing the scene. He seemed.. angry as he left. If Hidan had actually planned well, they would have probably been done with the project _days_ ago.

Deidara and Hidan always opted to choose the other for their group work, and until now it was just the two of them. This time the project workload was much higher, and all students in the class were required to work in groupings of three. While he was diligent and always produced what was required of his half of the report, Kakuzu almost _never_ agreed to meet off of school grounds, and never any time after four thirty. Deidara just chalked it up to shyness, or perhaps being socially inept.

Despite being only juniors in high school, Deidara and Hidan shared their advanced English literature class with Kakuzu, who was in his final year of schooling. The man sure was an oddball though- he didn't have many friends and Deidara was not even actually sure he'd seen the man talking to _anyone_ (except teachers and required conversation) before they were assigned to their report.

 _'Dracula,'_ Deidara thought bitterly. ' _What a stupid waste of my time, and a perfectly good Friday evening..'_ Initially he had planned to spend the weekend finishing sculptures and catching up on late homework, but working with one less person turned out to be a huge setback. His eyes shifted to the window, where the sun had already entered its daily descent under the horizon. After a moment of admiring the scenery, a chilling feeling rolled down his spine. For a brief moment it felt like.. he was being watched. But from where? Nobody was at the window or even within view of it. These were single family homes in a relatively safe neighborhood.

He pushed the flurries of worry away, trying to focus on the report. Occasionally, however, he would glance back to the window and get the same inkling of fear. Still though, no one appeared or even around it.

“...of the character are believed to be inspired by...” Hidan sighed, giving a slight glance to his slacking partner. He paused for a moment before grinning, finishing with, “the big giant fucking _gaping_ hole in my _ASS!”_ For dramatic effect, he threw his hands up and slammed them down on the table. A maniac fit of laughter followed after.

Swatted from his pondering like an owl catching its prey, Deidara jumped at the sudden yell, smacking his knee on the underside of the table. “What the fuck, Hidan? Why did you yell like that?” He cried, rubbing the top of his now sore kneecap... before producing a lopsided smile. “And who's gaping asshole are we really talking about? Dracula or yours?”

Hidan snorted, saving the Word document and closing his laptop with a soft click. “His, clearly!”

“Anyway.. I saw you stop paying attention to our gloriously entertaining masterpiece... although I don't fuckin' blame ya.. we had to have gotten the most boring assignment on the planet. And that fucker blew us off AGAIN! We'd already be finished now. Ugh.” Under his breath he muttered one last _'stupid fucking bastard'_ and began putting materials away. “Anyway we can tidy up the final report tomorrow if you want. And if Kakuzu stops being, I don't know, a big fat “b _usy_ ” bitch, he can help too!”

Hidan's number one quality would always be the ability to fit a million swear words into one simple sentence. And maybe being a good friend.

Ignoring his ranting, Deidara moved to stand. Stretching aching limbs, he slid his own black laptop inside of a red messenger bag. “That guy freaks me out, and he gets upset easily. Maybe its better he backed out today. Also... you're fucking annoying and like picking fights with him.” He deadpanned and glanced to the quickly darkening window outside. “Anyway I'm going to go, it's starting to get late and I don't want to get kidnapped. Or murdered. Or both.”

From the kitchen he could hear Hidan snorting again, waving. “Oi, whoever kidnaps you would end up paying the ransom. You'll annoy them to death otherwise my dude, so don't worry too much!” the boy sneered, pleased with his joke. “Really though, be careful when going back to campus. Last night I kept hearing noises like, all fucking night. I think its coyotes or some shit howling. Do they howl? Annoying as fuck.”

On his way out Deidara heard a loud “And text me this time! Fuck head!” before closing the front door with a slam.

* * *

The outside air was crisp, foliage just beginning to lose its color. Autumn was approaching full swing now.

The branches of a nearby tree rustled, appearing to move with the direction of the wind. Looking up, the golden haired individual swore he saw a flash of red. _'Probably a robin or something.'_ he thought absentmindedly, starting on his usual route home. Perhaps he'd cut through the park this time?

It took ten minutes of walking back to his dorm for Deidara to realize something wasn't right. For one, the air was almost bone chilling, and he forgot to take his jacket with him when he left. Cursing, he briefly rooted through his bag, fruitlessly hoping it would turn up. No luck. He sighed, pulling out his cell phone and continuing to walk the winding path around the lake of the park.

 _I forgot my god damn jacket at your stupid fucking house. Can you bring it to school on Monday? I'm half way home and too lazy to turn around._ Sent.

Never too far from his phone, Hidan shot back a reply almost instantly. Deidara didn't even have time to put it away. _Maybe,_ he replied, _I'll consider it. I think. Idk. MiGhTbe tOo BuSy_

 _Geez, did him flaking on our revision session rile you up that much? If you like him just say so. I don't care I just want my jacket back._ He stalled, and then wrote _whore bitch_ at the end as an afterthought. While most friends were playful, Deidara and Hidan had a special(different) way of showing friendly affection. _bitch, whore, slutty-mc-slutterson_ were all terms of endearment.

He put his phone back in the bag, uninterested with whatever his best friend might reply with. The device vibrated six more times. Deidara must have struck a nerve. _'Oh well, I can tease him about it now.'_

The rustle of trees nearby in the wind urged him to stop thinking about it and walk just a little faster.

Up above, the full moon glittered, illuminating as a queen would when commanding her subjects. Stopping once more to admire the brilliance, he considered saving the image on his phone for inspiration later- a painting, probably. The moonlight he came to stand in offered a weirdly calming reassurance. Her celestial being somehow smoothing his nerves, relaxing the mind, shooing away the chills.

Looking down, he'd realized the bright celestial light had cast his reflection on the still waters. Taking a look at his mirror image, he began to play with his golden locks, ignoring the slight rustling of the trees behind him. If he could just fix that one tangle and be on his way...

“Do you admire yourself like that all the time? How vain.” A voice sounded out from behind, shattering the silence like glass hitting the floor.

For a moment Deidara stopped breathing, body shutting down as if it were a stalling program.

His hands froze, having been smoothing out the ends of his long hair. Slowly, he turned around, letting go of his hair and eyeing the stranger(as best as one could, in the dark of night) wearily. A boy, perhaps an inch or so taller than himself, stood a few feet away underneath a tree, arms crossed and lips sitting pencil straight. In the dark it was difficult to tell most details, but Deidara had a sinking realization. Like messy fabric nestled loosely on his head, the boy had the same imperial red hair he'd seen flying from the trees earlier. Was he following him this whole time?

Lips parted in surprise and slight fear, he hardened his stance and looked the other in the eye. “Who the fuck are you?” he said with a barely contained voice. “I- I know jujitsu- I'll kick your ass if you come any closer-!” It was a lie, really, Deidara didn't even really know what jujitsu _was_ besides some kind of martial art. Hidan was always the more physically gifted of the two- But he needed to say _something_ to scare his.. stalker..? Off. Seriously! who was this kid creeping around in the bushes at night? A bead of sweat ran down his forehead. He was just a little terrified. _'What if he's coming to drown me in the lake? These aren't the clothes I wanted to die in! The research project isn't done either, Hidan will kill himself and then come kill me again and I have so many sketches I need to-”_

The one hundred mile an hour thoughts were stopped by the sound of the stranger moving from the dark shades of the tree, revealing himself in the light of the moon. “You may attempt to resist all you like.” He replied quizzically, unbothered by the weak threat of an ass kicking. Warm tawny finished roaming the body of its prey, moving to stare into startled sapphires for eyes.

Frightened -and perhaps a little bit flushed at the leering- Deidara moved to clutch his bag, taking the same amount of steps back until his shoes brushed the last bit of hill before lake. “Why are you following me? Answer my questions, you freak.”

The first thing besides the tousled flame-like hair Deidara noticed were the fangs. One on each side poked out from behind his top lip. White as a sheet of paper; looking dangerously sharp, as if they could cut through flesh like soft butter. His skin was almost as white as his teeth, as if the young man had become a ghost. He also appeared to be wearing some kind of uniform; a white button up with a small red symbol(what it was was anyone's guess) and simple khaki pants. Easily would have passed for a high school student, one standing an inch or so taller.

Almost like what the group had been assigned to research.. with the unmistakable fangs, he easily passed as a vampire character. If he wasn't so consumed by fear, Deidara might have laughed at the irony of the situation.

So consumed by the strange features, he did not notice the man moving again, appearing right in front of the boy now. A hand reached out and snatched his wrist before he could retreat. The still free hand attempted to push against him, unsuccessfully trying to put distance between the two. The one with the fangs did not budge, instead focused on the exposed flesh of Deidara's neck. He moved to cover his bare skin, though it was swatted away gently by a stronger hand.

He never did receive any answers to his questions, but, he mused, it didn't matter anymore.

The redheaded man gave a slight yank of the wrist, moving the boy against his chest. For a moment once more he glanced at the blond. Increased heart rate, a flushed face and wide, beautiful eyes. As those paper white fangs descended on the flesh of his neck, Deidara swore he heard just one more thing before passing out from the pain.

“Your eyes are very pretty.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ages-
> 
> Deidara and Hidan are both sixteen years-old.
> 
> Kakuzu is seventeen. 


	2. Full moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The vampire - human dynamic is one of my most favorite things to read & write. This chapter went more smoothly.
> 
> Poor Sassy! He made a mistake.
> 
> info:  
> A blood bond is when a vampire consumes the blood of someone else. They can feel small, temporary, and emotional side effects to consuming non vampire blood.  
> Sasori is 116 years-old.  
>    
> “Was this love? It was like a consuming flame, licking through my defenses at a slow burn.”  
> ― Yangsze Choo, The Ghost Bride

* * *

Long ago, a young Sasori hears a story passed down to him from his grandmother. 

A vampire had bitten a human while collecting food- and fallen for her after the first blood bond. Mysteriously, no matter how many times she was bitten, the woman could not be turned died during the sixth attempt. The vampire lost the will to live, crumpling to dust in the sunlight a short time later.

 _Love at first bite!_ his grandmother joked, then assuring him the tale was pure fiction. Vampires didn't _fall in love_ anyway.

Not knowing what _love_ was anyway, he agreed.

* * *

Two things were wrong.

Firstly.. He'd taken too much blood. The body before him was no longer flowing with healthy signs of life. He was alive, yes, but if left cold for too long he would not stay that way.

Second, the first should have never even happened. Sasori was known for being meticulous and not making mistakes. And normally, he never did- Until now. He had not even ventured to the mortal areas for blood, yet this particular human's blood attracted him more than the supernatural behemoths he was looking for. So much so that dusk until now was spent having followed the boy until no other humans around could be detected. He hadn't even thought about his original mission again until the blood satiated his system. Like a haze clouding the mind.

The blood..

It was unlike the stored blood of the coven- enough gathered to feed the "family", but cold, flavorless and often days old. This blood was sweeter, warm, fresh, and if Sasori had to say, reminiscent of a fruit he had as a child over a hundred years ago. It felt good, and he himself felt a fullness only achieved this day.

His mouth twitched as fangs threaten to bare themselves again.

_'Focus!'_

The first plan was to just leave the human in a secluded area and figure a wild animal bit him. Or perhaps conceal the wound and locate a medical center. Or just leave him right here on the ground... No. If he was too messy about this, word would get out. The coven would know. And dealing with _that_ was more headache than any blood was worth. Sasori was a hunter, not a collector. Only those deemed the most worthy gathered food for the group.

A small voice in the back of Sasori's mind did not want to leave him to die regardless. He figured it was the temporary blood bond talking.

He sighed, rubbing a hand over his now, unbeknownst to himself, golden eyes. The prey he'd been feeding on had collapsed into the arms of the vampire almost right away, from shock no doubt. Two deep fang wounds clung to his neck, the imprints beginning to turn purple. Despite the painful wounds and lack of blood, his sleeping face looked peacefully fragile. Hair so soft and golden it may as well have been made by thread. His naturally pink lips were slightly parted as he slept, moving only to breathe. The vampire had already gotten a good look at him all evening, but it was hard to look again, with a closer view.

That strange mental block began to creep back into Sasori's mind, but before he could act like a fool once more, the subject of his intended mission made itself known.

A loud and deafening howl rang out into the stillness of night, blaring like a siren. Previously windless, the trees shook, some losing their leaves.

A werewolf ritual was taking place. By the wide, shaking range it had, the presumed alpha beast was calling an entire pack together. And soon.

 _'Shit.'_ He thought, no longer having the easy way out. His smell was all over this human, the ground, and probably all around them. He had to take the evidence with, or be tracked down by the hyperosmia. One of the few advantages a werewolf had over the vampire race was a superior sense of smell. It would be virtually impossible to lose one already on your trail. If it had been a lone wolf, he would successfully be able to defend himself. But not the pack. Werewolf packs were too dangerous to confront alone.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Sasori forced himself to begin moving. It wouldn't be long until a pack member caught his smell, likely with the wind blowing in the direction of the ear-piercing call. Leaning over the unconscious blond, long fingers curled around the messenger bag, having been dropped during the struggle earlier. He maneuvered it over his right shoulder, hooked another arm under the slumbering male and hoisted him up to his chest. As his fingers pressed into the others skin to hold, he felt a strange and pleasant warmth. ' _It's the body heat. Nothing else.'_

Raising to stand now, Sasori faced the direction the boy had been walking in. A mumble came from under his chin, the figure nuzzling into his shoulder. To most people, the action would be puzzling, but it froze Sasori to his core. Decades of solitude and distancing clashed with loneliness, his desire to drop this human on his skull fighting the equal urge to return the gesture. He ignored the polar opposite feelings as best he could.

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep inhale, getting in as much as the human scent as he could. With the blood also coursing through his system, the process was even easier. When he reopened them, a faint gold trail could be seen. Interesting. Sasori had been able to focus on specific smells, but he'd never been able to _see_ trails. There was no time to think on it now.

After about thirty minutes of thankfully uneventful traveling, the trail lead the two to a large facility. The howling fortunately fell back into the distance. Slipping past the gated community entrance with grace that only a vampire could have, Sasori continued following his only hope for survival. The transparent line followed a short pathway, and then split into two directions. One slipped under the entrance door to another large white building, the other snaking around the side and up the walls, disappearing into an empty window on the third floor. He chose the second option.

Keeping an eye on wandering humans, Sasori pressed the body closer to his chest and prepared to scale the wall. Applying surplus energy to his feet and legs, he climbed with some difficulty; carrying an extra body and keeping look out was not normally included. Passing through the window produced relief, and a warmth not identified right away. A bedroom! And by the scent of it, it was definitely where the golden haired boy slept at night.

The only source of light, a small floor lamp, left the residence in a dim glow. It was small but still messy- books, pieces of clay, and papers scattered about the table and part of the floor. An overflowing trashcan sat abandoned by the door. At the top of the trash sat a discarded painting- An old man and a girl with black hair sketched into the middle. His bed sat in the corner, unmade light green sheets tossed around from the morning. The inner perfectionist in Sasori blanched. Are all humans messy? This unintended experience was the closest he'd be to...anyone, really, in a while. Especially a human.

After shrugging off the bag and dumping the body on the bed, Sasori looked out into the courtyard one last time before snapping the latch to the window shut. He closed the blinds for extra security. Really, he would not be able to fully relax until he'd left the human areas. 

Turning back towards the still sleeping youth, the vampire delicately moved his head to assess the festering neck wound. When skin made contact he felt that strange electricity again. 

A morbid curiosity took over. Only the coven knew he'd never made a blood bond before, and the sight of the indents _he_ made were fascinating. It was still very swollen, with the edges beginning in the stages of bruising. The bleeding had stopped, but unlike most humans, the bite marks had not scabbed over yet- they were still darkened purple, as if he'd just been bitten seconds ago. Unusual.

Crouched over the bed, Sasori did not notice his blood bond stirring.

* * *

Deidara felt cold. He tried to open his eyes, but everything just felt so _heavy and so damn cold!_ A stinging pain radiated from the left side of his neck.

When he did manage to snap them open, the first thing he saw was someone on leaning over him, golden eyes observing something on him like a researcher in the field. Fingers dusting over his skin. Despite the exhaustion, he shot up in his bed and tried to scream, scaring the intruder in the process. Surprised, the man fell over backwards, landing harshly on his butt and leaned back on his elbows. Whatever he was about to say was trampled by frightened dialogue.

"Who the _fuck_ are you!? What are you doing in my room and how did you get in?! I-" The blond exclaimed in a coarse tone, hissing in pain from moving. He stopped talking and made a pained face, hand reaching up to touch his skin and flinching at the wound. "God, my head hurts.." The red colored hair brought the memories like a sudden whip to the back.

Hidans house, feeling weird, walking home, being followed through the park.. _fangs... oh god it really did happen._ His blue eyes widened, panicked and bounced back and forth from the redhead to the window. 

"I wouldn't act so rash if I were you, human. You are wounded and weak. I carried you inside. You shouldn't leave your window open." Dusting his pants, the pointy toothed fellow pushed himself off the floor and came to a standing position, arms akimbo.

For some time the two stared at each other, both refusing to back away or speak. Deidara was more stunned than anything. Eventually he broke the silence, voice clearer this time.

"... Are you a vampire? Did you bite me? How did you climb three stories? Were you stalking me? How did you find my dorm? What's your name? I saw your fangs-"

"It's none of your business." The monotone voice interrupted, silencing the parade of questions. Deidara narrowed his eyes, irritation lacing his tongue.

"You fucking attacked me and broke into my dorm. It _is_ totally my business!"

"I'm not required to divulge any information to you."

"Then get out or kill me!"

The redhead sighed loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose and dragging a pale hand over his eyes. He seemed to be deep in thought for what seemed like an eternity to Deidara. After a few minutes he crossed the room and peeked through the blinds of the shut window. "Look," He started. "I'll explain _some_ things- but I require a favor first. No blood, I promise. And, for the record, I don't slay humans. Or drink them to death."

"Yeah, like you didn't already suck me off earlier." The blond glared.

The not-so-stranger glared back in an also now disgusted manner. _He's only been awake for ten minutes and already getting under my damn skin._

"Okay... Fine. You would have killed me already if you wanted to, so I'll play ball. What do you want?"

"I require refuge for the next few days. A week at most- the sun will be coming up shortly and I cannot return home just yet." He didn't say why.

Tapping a finger to his chin, Deidara rolled the request over in his mind. "Why my room? Why not anywhere else?"

He answered with ease. "It is higher up, and the smell of so many humans around will keep me safe for longer. Your scent in particular.. is almost overwhelming. It will block out my own."

The blond student cocked his head in curiosity and confusion as much as he could with the pain. A light blush dusted his face, not going unnoticed. He didn't understand what the redhead meant, but he would have to ask later.

"Will you bite anyone else if I let you stay in my room?"

"No. As you so eloquently put it, I've already had my fill."

Deidara _knew_ this was a stupid idea. He just knew... But, a small part of him liked the idea of having company- despite the fact that his only offer was from a guy that almost sucked the life out of him. Then again he _didn't leave him to die._ His head was swimming.

He mulled about it on the inside, chewing on his lower lip. Living alone was depressing, and there was no home to return to other than this shoebox at school. _I'll probably regret this... but oh well._

 _"_ You... You can stay with me-" Deidara looked up at the apprehensive figure.

"But don't bite anyone. Please. And the bed is still mine. I'm not sharing." He tossed a pillow and small blanket at the mans feet. "Now, I've got a lot of questions..."


	3. Twilight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapters, I work in retail and its December!! Hope you are all having a good holiday season despite the pandemic. My personal posting goal right now is 2K words at least for each update. hope to go back and lengthen the previous chapters and boost them to ~4k each. 
> 
> I know we're all whores for a multi chapter 5k+ per chapter story.. I sure am.
> 
> What are you giving your loved ones for the holidays? I saved up enough to gift my boyfriend a lego set, and 3 new electronic parts!
> 
> I can also be reached/chatted with on my Tumblr here :) https://starlight-10.tumblr.com/ I just made it primarily to dump my artwork so it wouldn’t spam my other blogs. Sometimes I put random cover art on there.

_"When do I have to leave, grandfather?"_

_The old man puffed out a breath full of cigar smoke as he spoke, old age blurring into speech. His grandson moved a hand in front of his face, waving away the smell._

_"The new semester begins in two weeks, and you'll want to be early for orientation. This is a good place, you'll have your own room and all the time in the world for your... uhh, art,"_

_"What about Kurotsuchi? Where is she going to go?"_

_"She will stay in Iwagakure... With her family. I'm sorry. The business needs her here."_

_"... Will I be able to come home for weekends at least?"_

_His grand father shifted, tapping the cigar to lose the charred ends. "Maybe.. We'll try to figure something out. You probably wont want to anyway, you'll make so many new friends at school I bet. You're a very bubbly and social boy! They will love you."_

_The seven year-old child nodded though he felt nothing but abandonment on the inside. Just another person waiting to dump him off on someone else._

* * *

"Sahh-Sorree-eee the _vampire_? That's a cute name. Do you like, live with a gang of them, like other vampire freaky people?" He quipped, shutting his eyes and grinning like he just knew how annoying it was. Deidara had lain back down, but kept his arms behind his head in a leisurely manner. He was still tired, literally drained, and also dizzy. A full day would pass before he would feel okay again- according to the blood sucking expert across the room.

The first things he'd asked was _w_ _hat's your name_ and _are you really a vampire?_ to which those fangs were bared once more as all the evidence one needed. Deidara decided the best way to go about this was to laugh, and pretend he wasn't afraid.

"No, and yes- It's a _coven_ that I belong to. Are you five? You possess the attributes of a bratty child. It's _Sasori_ , one word. Now, _Deidara_ let me meditate before I change my "no kill" clause-"

"Am I turning into a vampire?"

"No. There is a ritual for that. I'd rather not be tethered to _you_ for eternity anyway."

"You're rude."

"And you're annoying. I'll answer _whatever else you want_ when I've returned to my normal state." 

He opened his mouth to argue, but snapped it shut when he noticed just how irritated the vampire was getting. The man was on edge- His fingers were getting pointier, nails starting to form claw like appendages. He made a mental note to ask about that later, if he didn't die first. _'He reminds me of a scorpion, not a vampire, really.'_ Deidara thought, absentmindedly gazing at his newfound companion... roommate?

The man of the hour himself was perched on the desk, all items having been neatly slid into the corner. Most of it was clay ushered into a pouch and onto the floor. The pillow and blanket thrown at the floor earlier stayed put. He sat cross legged on the wood, eyes closed and hands clasped together infront for concentration. Not at all the confident being who'd cornered him in the park earlier, he looked as if something had rattled him to the core. The beginning rays of sunlight threatened to peek into the room, only obscured by the blinds Sasori had hastily closed earlier. 

Deidara twiddled with his thumbs, wondering what would happen if he just tugged on the blinds and unleashed natural light into the room. Would this vampire turn into ashes instantly? Would he burn slowly to death? He added it to the mental backlog of questions.

They stayed in a tense silence for some time. Sasori sat still in the same position -like a gargoyle, Deidara mused- for over an hour without moving a single muscle, while the blond spent most of his unusual quietness gazing a hole into his hands and thinking over the events of the evening. He soon grew frustrated, face scrunching from being unable to remember one thing in particular. ' _When_ _he cornered me in the park, he said something before he bit me.. what was it? My... something... is something... damnit!'_ Tapping his chin in thought. Like a sudden strike of lightning, it came rushing back.

_Your eyes are very pretty._

Oh. Yes. That's what that bloodthirsty-brutish-beastly-bastard said... but why? 

Face now redder than a beet, his heart began to thump almost painfully so. He risked a peek to the meditating figure, and to his surprise, found Sasori no longer meditating, but crouching in front of the bed. The night owl leaned over, pressing a rather chilled hand to the others forehead. He flinched a little at the contact, a strange look consuming his eyes for a moment before returning to the familiar achromatic. His fingers had stopped forming claws, resting like normal human hands.

"Your face went red and your heart rate increased. Are you sick? Do you feel hot?" 

_Very_ flustered and _very_ aware of how close they were, Deidara sat up and slid back until his back hit the wall. His head was swimming. "No, I was thinking about what you-"

He was interrupted-or saved?-by a loud ringing noise. Two pairs of eyes slid down to the bag on the floor, where the source of the disruption was. Amusedly, the blond watched as the other cautiously poked the messenger bag, sliding a hand inside when he found no actual danger. With a slight look of curiosity the vampire eyed the shaking cellphone he recovered, glinting at the screen. While he was distracted, Deidara took the opportunity to grab his phone from Sasori's hands, their fingers brushing together during the encounter. The redhead quickly looked away and stared at the wall, no witty or snapping remark ready for once.

Seven text messages. All from Hidan.

First three were responses to the teasing of Kakuzu. _I hate that stupid fuck, don't ever say that again_ _or I'll cut your balls off with a butterfly knife_ was one fine example he had written late in the previous evening.

The remainder of the messages were annoyance that the blond had never texted him when he returned to the dormitories.

' _you were supposed to replyyyy stupid biiiiiiiitcccchhhhhh',_

_'seriously are you okay? I heard a ton of noise coming from the woods',_

and lastly ' _IM COMING OVER RIGHT NOW IF YOU DONT FUCKING ANSWER ME FUCKER. YOU'RE EITHER DEAD OR IGNORING ME AND BOTH WILL MAKE ME FUCKING MAD - Hidan'_

" _Fuck!_ I never replied to Hidans texts!" He swore, hurriedly pulling up their text log and pressing into the touchpad. Still on the floor, Sasori watched the exchange with a blank look on his face, still waiting on whether or not the blond was in fact sick. Or what he was about to say when he got cut off.

"Who is this _Hidan_ you mention? Another human I presume?" 

"Seeing as how I don't fucking _know_ any other vampires, yeah, a human. My best friend. We were doing a school assignment together at his house before _I got attacked and carried home like a little girl."_ Deidara muttered, voice tweaking with anger at the last half. His phone birthed its own dinging noise moments later.

_'Sorry, I got back and I was sooooooo tired I forgot to message you and passed out. Didn't hear anything when walking... Anyway I just woke up. Are we still meeting up today? I'm not feeling well...'_

Ever the nomophobic, Hidan was swift in replying. _'Fuck you I thought you died. Fucker. I even texted Tobi's dumb ass, but he left for the weekend!! He'll probably fucking bother you on Monday. and NO! I have... uhh I have some errands to run.. we can set something up tomorrow if that lazy bastard is back in town...'_

The message conversation went on for a few more minutes before Deidara tabbed out of his messenger app, instead opting to visit his camera function. Using the flip option, he aimed the device to the side, eyeing the damage to his neck- blanching at the left over carnage. He also noticed how pale and fatigued looking his face became. ' _How can I explain this, even with a bandage?' Not only do I look like I got jumped by a vampire, but like he kicked me down a flight of stairs and then kept me awake for twenty four hours straight!'_

Dejectedly, he placed his phone on charge and sank back into the covers until only his nose and up was visible, eyes moving to the ~~problem~~ guest. Thoughts drifting back to that hand on his skin, the comment about his eyes, and the light that seemed to burst from their limited contact.

"Sasori?" He said it right this time.

The vampire grunted, busying himself with curiously poking through some literature textbooks. "Yes? What were you on about earlier?"

"Uhhh.. I forget now. I feel fine. I just need to sleep. Enjoy your meditating or whatever. Don't shred my homework with your wolverine hands." Maybe the weakened state was just getting to him. Yeah. That was it.

* * *

Due to his weakened state, Deidara had ended up sleeping for the rest of morning, and well into the afternoon. He was fidgeting in sleep, rolling over at least twice. A nightmare perhaps, mused his observer.

Sasori was left to his own thoughts in the meantime. He continued to meditate, though he could not concentrate as well as before. He blamed his mind.

By midday, the paranoia and apprehension had left Sasori and he, too, began to feel worn out. And the smallest bit annoyed.

Usually, by the morning, his blood source would be fading away and he would no longer feel that persons blood flowing through his veins. The power he'd received from the blood-bond with _Deidara the human_ was very persistent, keeping the vampire awake at a time he'd normally be in a deep sleep. He could feel it like an overwhelmingly potent candle. _It_ was the essence, or rather the whole existence of the boy currently resting a few feet away. The golden trail he summoned earlier, now leading into the bed, would not disappear no matter how many times Sasori blinked or attempted to will it away. He scowled when he realized it was also gold, not the typical Spanish carmine red.

The connection felt worrying, making the young vampire frown. Was every flesh bite like this? Is this why hunters were banned from feeding? Why in the nine circles of hell did he feel warmth in his chest right now? On his return to the coven he would have to discuss the experience with Itachi. If anyone knew the most and judged the least it was the four hundred year-old vampire 'prince'. They did not communicate or see each other frequently, but the heir to the Uchiha throne was the most calm and collected- something greatly valued amongst a sea of emotional, blood thirsty drones. Maybe it was a purebred thing.

He'd spent one hundred _years_ perpetually alone. The sudden, sheer closeness of someone else physically and emotionally was, in short, terrifying. He thought he just chalked it up to hatred, yet here the vampire was- making repeated physical contact with another being and sharing a confined space with them. _And he wasn't hating the company, despite how annoying it was._ Part of Sasori wondered why Deidara even agreed to house him in the first place. Rightfully he should be worried of another attack, as unlikely as it was. At this rate, he would not need to feed again for weeks. 

Huffing with vexation, the redhead grabbed for the pillow tossed his way earlier and made camp near the bed, and away from the window. Not because he _wanted_ to be near the cause of his internal frustration- no, the window had specks of sunlight... and being near the door was too cold and too many humans made noises near it... definitely not the first.

When Sasori slept he dreamed about feathers and standing unharmed in the sunlight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nomophobia is the name for being addicted to your cellphone.
> 
> blood-bonds are vampire bite marks that not only feed, but empower the vampire. accidentally biting too hard or for too long will summon a temporary bond between the two. or its supposed to be temporary anyway..
> 
> Purebred vampires have no human relatives they know of or are in the family tree whatsoever.


	4. Daylight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else find themselves waking up in the middle of the night for no reason? I might be sick. Feel like I swallowed a mammoth in my sleep.
> 
> Anyway, along with this chapter update I will be tightening up the previous chapters word count(adding world building) and re-naming their respective titles. They're supposed to define the time of day/description they take place in. The story title itself will be changed from Starlight to Article of Virtu, and starlight will be the title of an upcoming chapter(?).
> 
> Updates from here on out might take longer, I don't have any days off until Christmas anymore :(

_Some family members traveled miles to be here. Who would miss the induction ceremony of their own flesh and blood? No one would -or could- refuse the howling call of their alpha._

_When gathered together, the pack was truly a magnificent sight. Fifteen Wolves of every color circled around the lone human, slapping their tails on the ground and howling from excitement of a new member. A few were laying down, resting on one another. No bravado- just family. The spirit of the wolf ran for the entirety of their history on this Earth._

_All the eyes on him made Kakuzu feel nauseous. He wasn't used to the attention and it made the shapeshifting more difficult to focus on. He snapped his eyes to the ground, kneeling down like he was taught to do._

_When the transformation was complete, his mane grew to be a snow white color. Just like his father, and his before that. In the moonlight it was almost hypnotic. Within a few months he would become a large fully grown alpha._

* * *

MONDAY

The ritual had been completed during the full moon over a day ago, yet he still felt the boiling blood beneath his skin. The uncomfortable itch of every fiber in the shirt he wore, new teeth constantly threatening to sharpen at any irritation. The coming of age effects were to wear off shortly, they said, but it felt like years.

And.. the _smell._ Oh god. Nothing was as it used to be. Meat was two times the flavor, and fruit was almost too potent to be around. He almost vomited in class from a fruity perfume a classmate had been wearing. And strangely enough, some human scents gave him the same negative reaction- he'd been avoiding one schoolmate in particular for this very reason. The sweet, nauseating smell was almost not human, yet he could not pin it to anything else. Even a fairy could not possess the sickening scent. 

If he had been told of his misfortunate status as a shifter sooner, a fucking _wolf_ no less, Kakuzu would have considered untethering himself to the Earth much quicker. He wanted to be normal. Just a normal teenager preparing to graduate high school and making tons of money as an accountant.. or maybe a banker... or a CEO.

But no. He was just destined(forced, really) to be a protector in a place he wanted to leave, for a job he never asked to do. This is what the family, _his family_ , lived for- they were defenders of the natural land and its human inhabitants. First and foremost against the blood sucking leeches of the world; the vampiric race. Kakuzu had been aware of the supernatural since he was introduced to the 'family business'. Fairy blooded individuals, trolls, wolves, and vampires did not surprise him now, although he had not seen a vampire yet. One still breathing anyway. It was imperative however, his father explained, that _normal_ people remain largely unaware of their existence, as to not complicate matters further.

 _For every dead vampire, two shall spring in his absence_ was a common saying between his relatives. The hatred between the two races ran so deep and for so long one could not be sure how and why it began. All that Kakuzu knew was that a dead vampire would always eclipse a living one- such lessons had been instilled in him for years.

With their sour stench they lived to terrorize and feed off of humans, either disposing of the bodies or turning them into progeny. And they'd be stopped at whatever the cost.

Anyway...

He needed to stop brooding or he'd be late to school again. He just hoped the heightened smell wore off. Throwing up in the middle of a report because his project mates scent was not really what Kakuzu had in mind. The senior could not get away from his project partners fast enough- the blond one positively _reeked_ of sweet smelling things.

The cellphone in his pocket went off, for the fifth time that morning. Already knowing who it was, the text went ignored.

Later, as he pulled into the student parking lot and entered the building, a sudden feeling of dread spread all throughout his body. It was almost undetectable, but the faint scent of something both familiar and strange wafting down the hall caught his nose.

* * *

Saturday night and Sunday passed by uneventfully for Deidara. He chose to forego leaving his dorm for the weekend unless it was for dinnertime or the communal bathroom, wearing a big band aid on his neck and a scarf over that for extra coverage. 

The two inhabitants of the room were civil for the most part. Deidara spent his time finalizing his _Dracula_ analysis and other due homework, asking annoying questions, and Googling vampires while the real life vampire across the room wasn't looking. Sasori was either meditating on the desk, or peering through the blinds of the window at night. Whatever spooked him on Friday must have stayed heavy on his mind.

When he asked what exactly frightened the man into his room, the vampire stilled a little. Rather vague, he explained that a werewolf pack was in existence nearby and that the might of one vampire would not survive an assault. At this point Deidara didn't even flinch at the idea of werewolves- the fanged individual in front of him proved to be more interesting (and deadly.)

_“Are there other non human races out there, besides this Twilight vibe I’m totally getting?”_

_“Yes, you’d be surprised at the number of fairies that breathe life into the woods surrounding your little town. They are almost too small to see. I have also met a siren, once. Very blue. And loud... Kind of like you.”_

_”A siren?! And I’m not loud! I’m fucking awesome. Everybody loves me."_

_"I'm sure."_

Raising his head from the lone pillow, the blond rolled over on his back and spared a glance to the sleeping presence nearby. Curled up on his side, Sasori laid with both one hand next to his cheek and the other tucked under his body. The blanket Deidara unceremoniously threw at him lay tangled around his waist and legs. His face carried an unusual look of peace and Deidara swore, he _swore_ , a small smile briefly grace those lips. A nice change from his usual "I'll kill you and be emotionally fine afterwards" thousand yard stare, or look of pure annoyance. ' _He looks good..'_ Wait what? What the hell was that? ' _I mean- from an objectively distant not attracted perspective... yeah. Yeah that's what I meant.'_

Shaking his head and giving a light slap to his cheek, he carefully maneuvered himself around the other, careful not to disturb him, and began getting ready for the school day. The trio- himself, Hidan, and Kakuzu- were due to present their literary analysis after lunch. The report itself was contained within the flash drive attached to his lanyard and ID. 

He tied the scarf around his neck a little tighter than normal before leaving.

* * *

Hidan seem to operate on only two modes- annoying, and infuriating. Today he was a surprising third: Fucking Impossible.

And nosy. Reeaally, really nosy.

"What's with the scarf? You look like a fucking Hogwarts drop out." The white haired student guffawed, watching his friend stuff his belongings into a tall, gray locker. He gave a small tug of the long clothing, and promptly got swatted away. Fishing out a jacket from his bag, he handed it to Deidara, who jammed it messily onto the hanger in his locker.

"Fuck you! I'm just... uh, cold… fuck off. And you’re the one to talk, should I start calling you Draco?"

Hidan narrowed his eyes.

"It's like, seventy-five degrees outside, what do you mean ' _I'm cold'?_ And Malfoy fucking wishes he looked like me. Oh god, did you _get laid_ over the weekend? Is that a HICKEY YOU’RE HIDING UNDER THERE?” If he spoke any louder, he’d be yelling for the entire school to hear. 

“No. I told you I’m _cold_ , now kindly shut up about it. Don’t be jealous of my ability to look good in any and everything, you'll get frown lines.”

“You look like a wet poncho. What’s his name?? Tell me about him, I’m _dying_ to know who'd sleep with a scarf wearing monkey.”

Deidara pulled out a book and closed the locker with force, letting go of the metal and pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Do you know if Kakuzu came to school this morning? I need to go over who’s doing what part of the presentation.” He asked, desperately trying to change the subject. Ask Deidara to lie and he’d accidentally spill out the guts of truth. He turned away from his best friend and started down the hallway to their first shared class of the morning; math.

His lean friend quickly caught up with him, keeping a pace slightly quicker than Deidara. “I don’t know, he blew me off this morning. What's up with you today? This whole fucking weekend actually. You never texted me back and I thought you died, then you bail on me Sunday with no explanation and _now_ you're suddenly fucking into scarves.“

"Why are you so far up my asshole is a better question!" The ' _Hogwarts drop out'_ was slowly, but surely losing his patience. 

Hidan abruptly stopped walking, causing the blond to bump into his backside and drop a textbook. “Hidan what the hell-“ 

“He’s here, 12 - o clock. Why the fuck is he just standing there… staring at.. _you_?”

Peering over his shoulder, Deidara was immediately ushered into eye contact with the other student. He raised a hand to wave Kakuzu over, but faltered when he noticed the type of look the other man was giving. Kakuzu looked almost unhinged in a way- along with his murderous expression, his backpack was slumped on the ground next to him, hands curled into fists, and his shoulder length hair almost seemed to be lifting on its own at whatever the source of irritation he was facing. The blond gulped in apprehension. Had they done something wrong? Suddenly, his neck gave a throb of pain, as if just the look itself he was getting from the other male hurt.

Hidan turned his head to the right, glancing at Deidara who’s hand was stuck hanging in the hair, apparently frozen in place, and then back to Kakuzu, who was looking just as _odd_. "Oi, blondie!" He snapped his fingers in front of Deidara’s face, receiving no reaction. An uncomfortable jealousy washed over him when he realized they were completely absorbed in each other, neither making a move to say or do anything. He replayed the conversation about the scarf in his head-   
  
What the hell was going on?

Kakuzu was the first to break the awkward three way stare off, shaking his head and shaking off _whatever_ just happened to him. He yanked his bag off the floor and walked off into a connecting hallway for seniors; students parted like the Red Sea to avoid his history of randomized aggression. 

"... I have no idea what that was about." Quietly, Deidara shuffled out from behind Hidan, placing a hand on his neck in an attempt to soothe the pain oozing from the bite.

"Are you sure? you two looked pretty cozy eyeing each other up and down like that!" Hidan quipped, walking away.

"Ew," he grimaced, "What the fuck-no, He looked like he was going to run over and smash my face in! I was just-"

"It's fine. We should probably just get to class. You can wet your pants later. He's probably just in some kind of dumb fucking mood. Whatever." 

Deidara sighed defeatedly, falling in step behind Hidan once again and following him into class. It was only seven thirty and already multiple things were going wrong- Why did Kakuzu look like he was about to commit murder in the halls? And Hidan seemed to be upset by the interaction for an entirely different reason! _'Maybe Hidan does actually like him... I just hope neither of them fucking kill me for just existing.'_

* * *

Art could not have come fast enough, and desperate for a distraction, he all but flew into the room. The bite wound had stopped throbbing, resting at a dull ache occasionally reminding him of its presence.

"Alright class," Ms. Yuhi began, circling the desks. "I want you to think of someone- anyone, really. And the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of that person, sculpt that. Make it a small clay work, preferably not explosive-" She glared pointedly at Deidara, who smiled innocently and fluttered his eyelashes. "and have it drying before class ends."

The blond leaned back far in his chair, already thinking of his person and mini sculpture. Hidan, Kakuzu, and all this shit about vampires be damned, _he_ was going to spend the hour doing something he still found joy in. Even if it was spent thinking about a vampire and his rather callous nature.

* * *

Kakuzu seemed to have calmed down (somewhat) from his strange behavior earlier. The senior eyed the lunchroom cautiously, following the line of sight that led him to a particular round table occupied by two juniors. He was coming to them under the guise to discuss their work, but he had ulterior motive in mind. The blond one did not smell the same.

It wasn't the usual honey sweet, but an earthy... almost _sour_ smell. And that was alarming. 

If he could just get closer-

The two juniors stopped their heated discussion, eyeing the other student warily as he came to a stop in front of an empty chair. "Deidara, Hidan," He greeted as neutrally as possible. 

"Yes-"

"What do you want-" Both started at the same time, glaring at each other, then back at Kakuzu expectantly. Hidan seemed particularly peeved, head in his hands with elbows on the table. His lunch lay abandoned on the table. Deidara eyed him skeptically, arms crossed with one foot on the chair.

"As you know, I was unavailable during the weekend- there was an emergency family gathering I could not avoid. If you're both available, we can meet up after school tomorrow to finalize our report. I was given an extension of three additional days." Kakuzu spoke so smoothly and without anger it was a little odd listening. His groupmates again looked at each other, as if in some kind of telepathic conversation. Hidan spoke first. "I- yeah, we can. We can all meet at my house since Blondie lives in a fuckin' shoebox on campus," The aforementioned blond rolled his eyes, "and I doubt you'll let us come to _your_ house. I'll text you my address."

"It's settled then. Tomorrow." The older male turned away, stopping only when Deidara decided to pipe up. "Wait! What happened earlier? Were you okay? Did we do something wrong?" He questioned cautiously, trying not to irritate the man further but desperately looking for an answer at the same time.

Kakuzu stiffened slightly, "Nothing. I just- I was thinking of something." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is one pack in the area and they are all related. The full moon does more than just look pretty- scents may be enhanced, and not just human ones...
> 
> vampire progeny are turned vampires. the one that turns them are called makers and you are spiritually tethered together permanently until your or their death. I got this from true blood and rather enjoy the concept(even if the show kind-a blew ass at the end, yanno?)


End file.
